Labyrinth: A Jeremiah Valeska Story *COMPLETED*

Chapter 58: The Unexpected

Jeremiah's gun was on the floor across the room. "Admit that you love me! Stop lying to me!" Ecco half screamed and half cried. She had clearly lost it, she was shaking with emotion, tears spilling down her cheeks. Jeremiah's eyes were wide with panic his hands up by his head. "Ecco... Just put the gun down and we can talk okay?" He said his tone and demeanor calm but I knew that it was all for show. "Hey!" I yelled, turning both of their attention towards me. I pointed my gun at Ecco as I made my way over to them, my finger on the trigger and ready for anything. "What the hell is going on here?!" I demanded, ignoring the pissed look on my husband's face at my being there. Ecco began laughing through her tears, wiping her cheeks. "Of course you're here! You can never seem to stay away from trouble, can you?" She mocked me but I took a step closer, unafraid though I probably should have been. "Where's Barbra?" I pressed, ignoring her statements towards me. "I'm right here." A voice said behind me and I jumped as Barbra entered the room, gun aimed directly at me. I looked between the four of us, properly confused. "Allow me to explain..." Barbra started. "Ecco was fed up with her boss playing with her heart, so she joined me. You see, Gotham deserves to be run by someone far superior than this clown." Barbra hissed, gesturing to Jeremiah with her gun. "I'm tired of men taking control of this city... A woman could do such a superior job. Don't get me wrong, I'll let the women of Gotham fight for it, but I will win the throne. For now I'm  just leveling the playing ground, starting with your husband." She revealed and I felt my mind cloud up with all the information that was being thrown my way. This all had been a trap, not an encounter gone wrong. Ecco had betrayed Jeremiah and even wanted him dead. I was right to feel that something was out of place, the whole situation seemed off and now I knew why. Jeremiah looked just as shocked as I was as their plan was revealed to him and he lowered his hands, eyeing Ecco with hurt over her betrayal. "How could you really be that naive Ecco? You were my employee, nothing more! You've let Barbra manipulate your emotions and turn you against me!" He tried to reason with her and I just wanted him to shut his big mouth to prevent upsetting her further. Ecco just began laughing maniacally, and I almost found myself pitying her in that moment. She had gone mad in love. "Oh Jeremiah, it's you who manipulated my emotions! You've known that I was in love with you and you've used it to make me stay.... Well that's long over now!" She said and then motioned to Barbra, who loaded her gun behind me and pressed the barrel into my skull. "Drop your gun, or I blow your brains out." Barbra threatened and I stayed still, my grip tightening on my gun I had aimed at Ecco. I couldn't back down, as I was the only protection Jeremiah had. "Lilly..." I heard my husband say and I shifted my focus to him. "Drop your gun... Now." He demands, his tone firm. I gave him a confused look but he just nodded, assuring me that it was alright. I slowly lowered my gun and placed it on the floor, the whole time keeping eye contact with Jeremiah. I could see the concern in his eyes, hidden under a mask of calm. Barbra then kicked my gun away from me, and Jeremiah and I were left completely at their mercy. I carefully moved to step in front of Ecco's line of fire. "Ecco, please... You don't want to do this." I pleaded with her and Ecco narrowed her gaze on Jeremiah behind me. "Oh, I really do." She concluded and I reached behind me for Jeremiah's hand, which he took in mine his thumb smoothing over my palm as I cautiously stepped back to join him. "Then take me with him." I decided and Jeremiah looked at me appalled. "What? No! She has nothing to do with this!" He called to Ecco as she stood in front of us playing over her next course of action in her head carefully. "As much as I would like to kill you Lilith, that would be too easy... Grab her Barbra." Ecco ordered as Barbra grabbed me by the arm, ripping me from Jeremiah. I held onto his hand for as long as I could before we were separated. She then hit me over the head with her gun, knocking me to my knees beside them. I heard Jeremiah's protest cut short by the click of Ecco's gun. My head throbbed and I reached up to touch the welt forming on my scalp and as I pulled away I saw red liquid on my fingers. "I want her to watch this. She deserves it." Ecco smirked as Barbra then put me in a head lock, forcing me to look at Ecco and Jeremiah. Fear filled my chest as the fate of my husband played or before my eyes. He kept his eyes on me, no longer bothered by the gun pointed at him. "Don't hurt her Ecco, promise me you won't hurt her..." He pleaded and she scoffed. "So now you care to be polite? I'm so sick of you telling me what to do! You deserve to die for what you've done to my heart..." She hissed, her emotions that started as sadness and hurt turning into anger. I held my breath. This couldn't be real, I was certain I was living out my worst nightmare. " I might kill her anyways, you know I haven't decided yet. That bitch did steal you for me, after all... But first, she gets to watch her love die in front of her just as I watched my love die when you broke my heart!" Ecco yelled, rage in her eyes. She completely snapped, she was inconsolable. I was frozen in fear, my words caught in my throat. I wanted to scream for help but I knew that it was no use, no one would know we were here. Jeremiah began to back up, his hands raising in defense. "Ecco..." He tried but she wasn't interested. She fired two bullets into him and a scream ripped out of my throat. He stumbled backwards from the force of the shots until he reached the ledge of the fourth floor. His eyes found mine, regret and longing for what could have been reflecting off his eyes. "NO!" I cried, clawing my way out of Barbra's grip, and she let me go for the purpose of seeing the damage that was done. I struggled to get to my feet so I more stumbled towards my husband, trying so desperately to grab his hand but he fell backwards before I could reach him.